Salt Lake City, UT, September 25, 2017– Today the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault announced the appointment of twelve young people to the newly formed Young Emerging Leaders Advisory Council (YELAC). The YELAC is a group of community leaders recognized for their dedication to youth leadership, service- learning, diversity, and above all, the elimination of sexual violence in our community. The YELAC brings valuable youth perspectives to our work and is a source of strength for our organization. YELAC works in communities and schools across the state demonstrating that young people are the key to preventing and eliminating sexual violence in our communities.

Young people from across the state were selected based on an application and nomination period. Each will serve a one-year term which can be renewed each year. The goal of the YELAC is to ensure that young people have a voice in the affairs of UCASA.

“Young people are a crucial stakeholder in our efforts to eliminate sexual violence in communities across the state. Each of the incredible young people selected to serve on YELAC has demonstrated their leadership and vision for a state where sexual violence does not exist.” –Turner C. Bitton – Executive Director

YELAC membership consists of monthly meetings, training, and participation in the strategic vision and planning for UCASA. The council is designed to ensure that young people always have a voice in the highest levels of UCASA’s leadership.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Turner Bitton at (801) 746-0404 Ext. 1 or email at turner@ucasa.org. Mr. Bitton will facilitate communication with any of the members of YELAC.

Salt Lake City, UT, September 20, 2017– Today the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA) announced that they, along with a consortium of partners and agencies, will host a screening of the internationally recognized film The Voiceless. This powerful straight to camera film features the stories of five male survivors of sexual violence discusses culture, masculinity, and other important concepts. The film was produced by Vanessa McNeal and PLVTO Pros of Des Moines.

“Every victim deserves justice and we cannot forget that men also experience sexual violence. Male survivors of sexual violence often face unique barriers due to a variety of factors. Our goal with this screening is to shine a light on these factors and to create a dialogue about the needs of male survivors in general.”

– Turner C. Bitton, Executive Director

The event will be hosted by a group of partner agencies including the Men’s Anti-violence Network of Utah, Talk to a Survivor, the Thayne Center at Salt Lake Community College, Pacific Island Knowledge to Action Resources, South Valley Services, Rape Recovery Center, and Red Mesa Counseling Center. UCASA released these additional details regarding the event:

Salt Lake City, Utah, September 7, 2017– This morning, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced changes to the Title IX rule process while criticizing the so-called Dear Colleague letter. While she did not announce an end to the guidance established by the Dear Colleague letter, the message was clear.

“Today’s announcement by Education Secretary Devos shows a willful disregard for the needs, concerns, and experiences of survivors of sexual violence. The announcement follows a series of statements, actions, and policy changes that tip the scales of justice away from survivors of sexual violence. We condemn, any effort to undermine the robust process of accountability established by the Dear Colleague letter.” – Turner C. Bitton, Executive Director

The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault committed to working with the state legislature, local partners, and all stakeholders in the state to ensure that institutions continue to adhere to the spirit and letter of the Dear Colleague letter.

“Our Coalition has a long history of working with leaders in our great state to ensure that survivors of sexual violence get the justice that they deserve. We will work with our valued colleagues at institutions throughout the state to ensure that they have the resources, support, and encouragement to continue to adhere to the spirit and letter of the Dear Colleague letter.’ - Turner C. Bitton, Executive Director

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Turner Bitton at (801) 746-0404 Ext. 1 or email at turner@ucasa.org.

This month is recognized nationally as National Suicide Prevention Month, National Recovery Month, and National Hispanic Heritage Month and we are proud to be participating by focusing on the unique ways that sexual violence and suicide are connected.

We have created a new working group to study the issue of suicide and support our expressed desire to this serious public health issue. We’re working overtime to ensure that all of our programs include suicide prevention as a critical component of our work. We’re committed to ensuring that no survivor ever feels that they are alone. We’re committed to building a community for all people working to end sexual violence in Utah.

September 7-9th, we’re hosting the a 44-hour SANE certification training for new SANE nurses in Provo. Read more.

On September 27th, we’re partnering with several community partners to host a screening of the internationally recognized documentary The Voiceless. The Voiceless features the stories of five male survivors of sexual violence. This powerful straight to camera film discusses culture, masculinity, and other important concepts. Read more.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to schedule one of our events in your community. We are a statewide organization and love to support the work of our community partners across the state.

During the past 24 hours, we have watched with horror and disgust the events transpiring in Charlottesville. We condemn in the strongest terms the disgraceful and pathetic displays of hatred and bigotry. What has transpired in Virginia is reprehensive and deserving of the utmost condemnation. Violence, of any kind, has no place in our society and the violence perpetrated by members of the so-called “alt-right” is nothing but Nazism by a different name.

Advocates for survivors of sexual violence know all too well that sexual violence stems from the same hatred being spouted in Charlottesville. Sexual violence is fundamentally a crime of power and control. By dehumanizing others and sowing division, this movement of hate seeks to create opportunities for the perpetration of violence against others. While disgusting, this tactic is used all too often against people of color and other marginalized people.

From the founding of our country, we have aspired to create a more perfect union through the idea that all men and women are created equal. What has transpired in Charlottesville is nothing more than an attack on the sacred principles that are the moral pillars of our country.

Student groups and community partners will come together to present training designed to prevent sexual violence.

For immediate release

Orem, Utah, August 8, 2017– A consortium of student and community organizations will present a bystander intervention skill-building workshop at Utah Valley University on August 29th, 2017. The workshop will focus on skill-building scenarios and will encourage attendees to practice facilitating educational activities such as bystander intervention pieces of training.

Recognized as a critical component of preventing sexual violence - bystander Intervention training involves developing the awareness, skills, and courage needed to intervene in a situation when another individual is in need of help. Bystander intervention allows individuals to send powerful messages about what is acceptable and expected behavior in our community.

The Workshop will be facilitated by Marty Liccardo (Men's Engagement Specialist with the Utah Department of Health with a focus on the newly released curriculum "Upstanding: Stepping Up to Prevent Violence in Utah.”

“Bystander intervention skills are a critical component of sexual violence prevention efforts in our community. We are pleased to present this life changing training for students and community members alike.” –Turner C. Bitton

The event is free and open to the public. Anyone who is interested in bystander intervention training is encouraged to attend because this training will be highly informative. Additional details for the training can be found at UCASA.org/UVU_bystander.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Turner C. Bitton at (801) 746-0404 Ext. 1 or email at turner@ucasa.org. UCASA will facilitate opportunities to connect with student leaders, community partners, and others who members of the media may be interested in speaking with.

This month is recognized as National Back-to-School month across the country and UCASA is participating by focusing on sexual violence on college campuses. We’re recognizing the important work of our partners on campuses across the state through our new #FactualFriday campaign. This campaign will share positive facts about the accomplishments of our community partners and efforts currently underway to eliminate sexual violence in Utah. Each Friday we'll post a series of facts about a specific topic, partner, or cause. This month we’re focused on the work being done on Utah’s college campuses.

Our members are the backbone of our efforts and power the work that we’re doing in communities across the state. Here are the things that our members are making possible this month:

We’re tabling at the Weber County Fair on August 10-12th, 2017. We’re looking for volunteers to help cover and we’d love to have you join us. Details here.

On August 17th, we’ll be at the Davis County CARES Coalition meeting to support anti-sexual violence efforts in Davis County. We’re looking for engaged citizens to get involved. Learn more.

On August 23rd, we’re holding our first organizing meeting for the new Utah County Start by Believing Committee. The goal of this committee is to expand our Start by Believing campaign into Utah County and ensure that survivors receive the supportive response they deserve. Read more.

On August 24th, we’re partnering with the Utah Democratic Party to host a Back-to-School Bystander Intervention Skills Workshop. This course will focus on skill-building scenarios and will encourage attendees to practice facilitating educational activities such as bystander intervention pieces of training. Read more.

On August 29th, we’re partnering with several organizations at Utah Valley University to host a Back-to-School Bystander Intervention Skills Workshop. This course will focus on skill-building scenarios and will encourage attendees to practice facilitating educational activities such as bystander intervention pieces of training. Read more.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to schedule one of our events in your community. We are a statewide organization and love to support the work of our community partners across the state.

New Council will focus on LGBTQ inclusion in anti-sexual violence efforts

Salt Lake City, UT, July 21, 2017– The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA) announced the creation of a new statewide LGBTQ Coordinating Council to ensure that LGBTQ survivors of and victims of sexual violence, as well as the broader LGBTQ community, are represented in victim services organizations, institutions, and partnerships that serve sexual violence survivors statewide. This includes but is not limited to:

As the Council expands UCASA expects that members of the Council and the community will identify additional goals and objectives that cannot currently be anticipated by our organization.

UCASA has opened applications to the public for those who are interested in serving on the Council. Council members are expected to agree to a one year term on the Council. Members of the public who are interested in the council can find additional information at ucasa.org/lgbtq.

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For immediate release

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Turner Bitton at (801) 746-0404 Ext. 1 or email at turner@ucasa.org.

Salt Lake City, UT, June 6, 2017– Utah’s federally-recognized sexual violence coalition, the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault announced the addition of three community members to the Board of Directors of the organization. UCASA is that engages individuals and organizations in local and statewide collaborations to strengthen the effectiveness of sexual violence education, prevention and response in Utah. The new members of the Board of Directors represent a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.

"We are thrilled to welcome Suzanne, Marty, and Naeim to the Board of Directors. They each bring a wealth of knowledge regarding issues of public policy, finance, and victim advocacy to our organization. We look forward to their input and participation in helping UCASA accomplish its mission to end sexual violence in Utah." -Laurie Hofmann, UCASA Board Chair

The leadership team of UCASA reflects the broader collaborative spirit of UCASA: only by bringing together people from all sectors of society can we create innovative solutions that address the issue of sexual assault in our communities. Media professionals seeking a full list of members of the UCASA Board of Directors should visit the Board of Directors section of this website.

Added to the Board of Directors are:

Dr. Suzanne Harrison

Dr. Suzanne Harrison practices at Riverton Hospital where she is Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. She is a graduate of Stanford University, received her M.D. at the University of Utah Medical School.

Born and raised in Provo, she and her husband John are raising their three children in Draper. Dr. Harrison is a previous candidate for District 32 of the Utah House of Representatives.

She enjoys traveling and the amazing outdoor opportunities that Utah offers, including skiing, hiking, and mountain biking with her family.

Mr. Marty Liccardo

Marty has been an anti-violence educator and activist for over 15 years. He has extensive experience speaking and training students, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities around the US as well as providing programming in the public and private sector. Marty will provide in-depth, and interactive presentations, programs, training and keynote speeches. He uniquely uses humor and direct engagement to inform, guide and support audiences into critical thought and active personal commitment.

Marty's professional career has been with college and university students, and he has a broad range of programming and presenting experience. Currently, Marty serves as the Men's Engagement Specialist for the Utah Department of Health, coordinating statewide efforts to engage men in anti-violence work. He is also the co-founder of the Men's Anti-Violence Network (MAN) of Utah.

Mr. Naeim Sobhani

Naeim is a refugee from Iran. He is grateful for the opportunities he has in this country, and he tries to give back to the community. He received a Bachelors of Finance from the University of Utah, and now he is working on his Masters in Finance. Naeim is a financial analyst at Zions Bancorporation.

He enjoys hiking, fishing, biking and volunteering during the summer and sitting on his couch during winter.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact UCASA’s Executive Director Turner Bitton at (801) 746-0404 Ext. 1 or email at turner@ucasa.org.